Icon of St. Isidora the Fool For Christ- 00STIS01

Feast Day/Commemorated: May 10

Saint Isidora, known as a Fool-for-Christ, endured a life of extreme humility and self-denial within the Tabenna monastery in sixth-century Egypt. Embracing the spiritual discipline of "folly," she deliberately acted in a way that seemed mad to her fellow nuns. This unusual behavior included separating herself from the community's meals, which led many of the sisters to treat her with disdain and contempt. Isidora, however, met this mistreatment with unwavering patience and meekness, constantly offering blessings and thanks to God for every trial she faced. Her hidden spiritual life was a testament to enduring faith amidst public scorn.

Her life in the monastery was characterized by the performance of the most menial and unpleasant duties. Isidora worked in the kitchen, undertaking the dirtiest and most laborious tasks, effectively serving as the monastery's cleaner and scavenger. She wore a simple, plain rag over her head, and instead of eating the cooked food prepared for the community, she subsisted by drinking the dirty wash water used for cleaning the pots and dishes. Despite these grueling circumstances and the constant ill-treatment from her peers, she maintained an inner serenity; she never expressed anger, never spoke an insulting word, and never grumbled against either God or the sisters, dedicating herself to silence.

Isidora's profound yet hidden sanctity was ultimately revealed through a divine vision granted to an outside figure, the renowned desert monk, Saint Pitirim. An angel appeared to Saint Pitirim, directing him to the Tabenna monastery. The angel described a sister there—a woman wearing a rag on her head who served everyone with love and endured contempt without complaint, her heart and thoughts fixed firmly on God. The angel then contrasted her genuine devotion with Pitirim's own wandering thoughts despite his solitude, prompting the Elder to seek her out and learn from her example of true inner prayer.

Upon arriving at the monastery, Saint Pitirim initially struggled to identify the blessed sister, as the nuns presented him with everyone but the one they considered "demoniac." It was only when they reluctantly brought the scorned Isidora to him that the truth of her holiness was confirmed. Isidora, in her characteristic humility, immediately knelt before the Elder to request his blessing. To the utter astonishment of the other nuns, Saint Pitirim, in turn, bowed to the ground before her, exclaiming, "Bless me first, venerable Mother!" He then clarified the sister's spiritual stature to the bewildered community, declaring, "Before God, Isidora is higher than all of us!"

This dramatic revelation shocked the sisters into a realization of their grave error. They immediately began to confess their mistreatment of Isidora and earnestly sought her forgiveness. However, the unexpected fame and honor distressed the saint, whose spiritual path was one of obscurity and humility. Seeking to escape the attention and maintain her life of hidden asceticism, Isidora secretly departed from the monastery. Her ultimate fate remained unknown, though it is traditionally believed that this remarkable Fool-for-Christ died sometime around the year 365.

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